Facile oxidative addition of water at iridium: reactivity of trans-[Ir(4-C5NF4)(H)(OH)(PiPr3)2] towards CO2 and NH3

A reaction of trans-[Ir(4-C5NF4)(eta(2)-C2H4)(PiPr(3))(2)] (1) with an excess of water in THF at room temperature affords the hydrido hydroxo complex trans-[Ir(4-C5NF4)(H)(OH)(PiPr(3))(2)] (2). Treatment of 2 with CO furnishes trans-[Ir(4-C5NF4)(H)(OH)(CO)(PiPr(3))(2)] (3). Reductive elimination of water from 3 leads to the formation of the iridium(I) carbonyl complex trans-[Ir(4-C5NF4)(CO)(PiPr(3))(2)] (4). The insertion of CO2 into the Ir-O bond of 2 forms the hydrido hydrogencarbonato complex trans-[Ir(4-C5NF4)(H)(kappa(2)-(O, O)-O2COH)(PiPr(3))(2)] (5). Treatment of 2 with NH3 in C6D6 yields trans-[Ir(4-C5NF4)(H)(OH)(NH3)(PiPr(3))(2)] (6). Storage of the reaction mixture at room temperature reveals the formation of the N-H activation product [Ir(4-C5NF4)(H)(mu-NH2)(NH3)(PiPr(3))](2) (7).